Daily Archives: April 25, 2012

‘E-toll saga threatens SA’s credit rating’

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Chantall Presence 

South Africa’s credit rating may be adversely affected should the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) fail to honour its debt, Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele warned on Wednesday.

He delivered his budget vote in Parliament, where he urged Gauteng road users to pay toll fees. 

Ndebele said the debt incurred by Sanral to conduct the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project could climb to R32 billion over the next few years.

The minister suggested if Sanral failed to service its debt, the country would suffer as its credit rating could be downgraded.

He said e-tolls would help Sanral pay its debt.

He pointed out that over 500,000 Gauteng freeway users have already bought their e-tags.

Meanwhile, the case against the introduction of e-tolling is currently underway at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.

The court is hearing arguments for and against the controversial tolls. 

Earlier, Judge Bill Prinsloo ruled in favour of the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) by granting an urgent interdict.

Outa took Sanral to court in a bid to stop Monday’s implementation of e-tolls.

Under the project, Gauteng motorists will pay around 30 cents per kilometre to use some of the province’s highways.

(Edited by Lindiwe Mlandu)

 

Shootout in Woodmead !!!

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There was a shootout in Woodmead, north of Johannesburg on Wednesday following a robbery.

It is understood a number of suspects had robbed a house in Pretoria and fled the scene.

Members of the Gauteng Flying Squad were driving around the Woodmead Value Mart when they spotted the suspects near the McDonalds restaurant on Woodmead Drive.

The suspects exchanged fire with police and took off in a white Golf 5.

Shop owners and street vendors in the area said they did not witness the shooting, but heard shots being fired.

There was a heavy police presence after a manhunt was launched for the suspects.

No injuries were reported.

(Edited by Zethu Zulu)

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Tatane witness ‘unreliable’

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BY Rahima Essop 

The state’s first witness in the Andries Tatane murder trial has again come under fire from the defence during cross examination.

Seven policemen are standing trial for assaulting and killing Tatane during a service delivery protest in Ficksburg, Free State in 2011.

Four days were set down for the trial this week.

Lawyer Johan Nel has been digging for inconsistency in Phillip Selokoe’s testimony since Monday afternoon.

Selokoe said he saw Tatane being beaten with batons after he tried to protect elderly people from being drenched by the water cannon.

He also described how an initially peaceful march degenerated into a riot after two objects were flung towards the agitated crowd.

But it is the finer details of his testimony that Nel is interested in.

So when Selokoe failed to answer some of his questions, and seemingly contradicted himself, Nel called him an untruthful and unreliable witness.  

Earlier this week, one officer was acquitted of the crime.

Tatane’s death shocked the whole country and police brutality came under the spotlight.

The newly established police directorate has promised to thoroughly investigate all cases against police.

(Edited by Lindiwe Mlandu)

 

 

‘Malema is still commander in chief’-ANCYL

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BY Stephen Grootes 
 
 

The ANC Youth League (ANCYL) in the Eastern Cape on Wednesday said it wanted to take Julius Malema’s expulsion to the ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC). 

At the same time, the youth league in Limpopo said it still supported Malema, and he was still their leader.  

On Tuesday, the National Disciplinary Committee of Appeals (NDCA) panel decided to expel Malema. 

He was initially given a five-year sentence for sowing divisions and bringing the ruling party into disrepute. 

The league’s Secretary General Sindiso Magaqa was suspended for one year, while spokesperson Floyd Shivambu was given a three-year suspension sentence. 

The league’s Eastern Cape Provincial Secretary Mzonke Ndabeni said the matter must be taken to the next NEC meeting.  

The ANCYL’s spokesperson in Limpopo Che Selane reiterated their support for the Young Lions leader.

“Malema is still the commander-in-chief.”

The national ANC said it was pleased that this painful episode was over.

(Edited by Zethu Zulu)

 

Petrol price to increases again!!!

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BY Andrea van Wyk

More bad news for motorists were announced on Wednesday as the petrol price is set to increase once again.

From next week Wednesday, the price of all grades of petrol is due to increase by 28 cents a litre.

The Energy Department said a litre of 95 unleaded will cost R12,22 in Gauteng. 

The price of diesel is set to increase by between 8,4 and 9,4 cents a litre. 

Illuminating paraffin will rise by 12 cents.

Earlier in April, motorists were hit by a massive petrol hike of 66 and 71 cents. 

The Energy Department blamed the increase on the average international petrol price. 

The Automobile Association’s Gary Ronald said, “It is going to put an incredible amount of pressure, not only on motorists, but also on consumers.” 

(Edited by Zethu Zulu)

 

Judge rules e-toll matter is urgent!!!!

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The application by the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance for an interdict to prevent Sanral going ahead with the planned launch of e-tolling is indeed urgent, according to a ruling this morning in the Pretoria High Court.

Which means that Sanral has lost the first round of its battle against the alliance and the matter will now be heard – and decided – before the planned April 30 deadline.

In his ruling Judge Bill Prinsloo said Outa had made a proper case for urgency.

“The matter will proceed.”

“The widespread public interest, and the protesting, should persuade me to hear the matter.”

Prinsloo said lawyers for Sanral, the national treasury, the minster of transport and the Gauteng transport MEC did not persuade him that the Outa application was an abuse of the court.

He added that, due to inconsistency on start-up dates, unclear tariffs and a huge public outcry against the scheme, it was in the public interest to rule before the planned implementation date whether tolling should go ahead or not.

EXCESSIVE COST

In his argument, Alistair Franklin SC, for Outa, said even the estimated R20 billion needed to operate the tolls was excessive, and that Sanral had never actually revealed the true cost of operation.

David Unterhalter SC, representing Sanral, said the operation figure depended on non-compliance – at which point the judge asked drily: “The way things are going, what do you think the rate of non-compliance will be?”

Unterhalter replied that the costs would only become excessive if more than 60 percent of road users did not comply with the tolls. – Sapa

 

 

Police net R3m worth of TVs, laptops

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Police have arrested a man after he was found in possession of laptops and TVs valued at R3 million, all believed to be stolen.

Durban Central police arrested the 36-year-old man in the Point area on Tuesday, said provincial police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Vincent Mdunge.

He said said the man was found in possession of 19 brand-new plasma TV sets, 60 laptops, 20 old plasma TV sets and 15 desktop computers.

All these were found at the man’s flat in the Point area.

“Police investigations revealed that some of these goods were stolen during housebreakings, house robberies, and thefts out of motor vehicles and harbour containers,” he said.

Mdunge said the goods were believed to be destined for other African countries.

The man will appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on charges of possession of suspected stolen property.

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Safa explain Komphela’s Bafana role!!!

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kickoff.com

One of the core duties of Steve Komphela, who has been roped into the Bafana Bafana technical set-up as a part-time assistant coach, is to assess and recommend locally-based players for selection.   

According to Safa, Komphela’s other job as coach of Free State Stars will not compromise his responsibilities towards the national team.
 
As hosts of next year’s Africa Cup of Nations, Bafana will be under pressure to emulate the 1996 team that won the continental showcase on home soil.
 
“He [Komphela] is not a temporary coach, but a part-time coach for the national team,” Safa’s Director of Communications Dominic Chimhavi tells KickOff.com.
 
“He has a contract running until 2014. The agreement is that he will assist Pitso Mosimane while also attending to his duties at Free State Stars.
 
“As a coach in the Premier League, he is well placed to monitor local players. His duties with Free State Stars cannot therefore affect his input within the national team.”
 
Together with the likes of former Bafana coach Stuart Baxter, Komphela has also been linked with a move to Kaizer Chiefs, who recently parted ways with Serbian coach Vladimir Vermezovic.

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Malema: Cosatu respects ANC decision!!!

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Johannesburg – The Congress of SA Trade Unions accepts the expulsion of ANCYL president Julius Malema from its alliance partner the ANC, spokesperson Patrick Craven said on Wednesday.

“As we have said before … we accept and respect the decisions of the ANC disciplinary procedures and we feel it would not be right to comment,” said Craven when asked for Cosatu’s response on the announcement on Tuesday night of Malema’s expulsion.

“Each component of the alliance has its own rules and procedures and we respect those and we would not like to comment on them.”

Cosatu, the ANC and the SA Communist Party traditionally support each other on core development issues and usually form a united front ahead of elections.

‘Not our business’

Cosatu has previously said “it’s not our business” when asked to comment on Malema’s troubles with the ANC.

They did however come out last year and say that finding him guilty of hate speech for singing “dubhula ibhunu” (shoot the boer) was a gross insult to the country’s past, when the Equality Court in Johannesburg ruled against him.

They have also issued a statement condemning the behaviour of people who burnt ANC T-shirts and rioted in downtown Johannesburg when Malema’s disciplinary hearing first began last year.

Malema has often vocalised many of Cosatu’s points on protecting the poor, and recently joined Cosatu’s massive protest in Johannesburg against e-tolling.

On Tuesday the party’s national disciplinary committee of appeal (NDCA) expelled Malema and suspended spokesperson Floyd Shivambu’s membership for three years.

General secretary of the league Sindiso Magaqa had his sentence of suspension reduced from three years to one year.

Malema was originally suspended for five years for sowing division in the party and for bringing it into disrepute.

He was found to have done so by unfavourably comparing the leadership style of President Jacob Zuma to that of former president Thabo Mbeki, and for remarks on bringing about regime change in Botswana.

On February 29 the NDC announced that the sanction against him was being increased to one of expulsion.

He again appealed and it was this appeal that the NDCA dismissed on Tuesday.

Shivambu was found guilty of sowing division and bringing the ANC into disrepute. He was suspended from the ANC for three years for swearing at a journalist and for issuing a statement calling for a change of government in Botswana.

Magaqa was punished for making derogatory remarks about Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba. Initially, his suspension was contingent on him apologising to Gigaba within 15 days. Magaqa apologised to Gigaba in a statement sent to the media on March 10.
SAPA

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KOKOMENG BOY’S OPERATION WENT WELL!!!!

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                                                                   Pic: (Taken from internet)

BY Obakeng Maje

Taung– Kokomeng-born boy, Keletso Kgatwe who was born with dysfunctional genitals went under the knife on Monday for an operation. And there is a hope as most people hold their breath for a six year boy operation be successful.

Keletso has been using colostomy bag since he was born, but his life is about to change. The sad story appeared on SABC Touching Life and most people were touched.

The boy’s grandmother previously said what is needed is an operation,without it nothing will help. “We have to travel over 200km to Klerksdorp Hospital, but we do not have the taxi fare. No one is working in this house.” 

Then doctors from Durban Hospital offered some help, and Keletso was taken there. Unfortunately when he arrived, after some intensify assessment the agreement was that, he must bre taken to Chir Hani Baragwanath Hospital.

Now the boy has been operated on Monday and the family hope for the better. our crew spoke with family spokesperson Lucky Komane who confirmed the news.

“It is absolutely true that Keletso went for an operation on Monday and his sister was there with him,but was sent back home yesterday where the doctors promised to keep us in touch regarding latest updates. So we still waiting for their call to get when he will be discharged” he said.

Imperforate anus

Anorectal malformation; Anal atresia

Last reviewed: May 1, 2011.

Imperforate anus is a defect that is present from birth (congenital) in which the opening to the anus is missing or blocked. The anus is the opening to the rectum through which stools leave the body.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Imperforate anus may occur in several forms.

  • The rectum may end in a blind pouch that does not connect with the colon.

  • The rectum may have openings to the urethra, bladder, base of the penis or scrotum in boys, or vagina in girls.

  • There may be narrowing (stenosis) of the anus or no anus.

The problem is caused by abnormal development of the fetus. Many forms of imperforate anus occur with other birth defects. It occurs in about 1 out of 5,000 infants.

Symptoms

  • Anal opening very near the vagina opening in girls

  • Baby does not pass first stool within 24 – 48 hours after birth

  • Missing or moved opening to the anus

  • Stool passes out of the vagina, base of penis, scrotum, or urethra

  • Swollen belly area

Signs and tests

A doctor can diagnose this condition during a physical exam. Imaging tests may be recommended.

Treatment

The infant should be checked for other problems, especially those affecting the genitals, urinary tract, and spine.

Surgery to correct the defect is needed. If the rectum connects with other organs, these organs will also need to be repaired. A temporary colostomy (connecting the end of the large intestine to the abdomen wall so that stool can be collected in a bag) is often needed.

Expectations (prognosis)

Most defects can successfully be corrected with surgery. Most children with mild defects do very well. However, constipation can be a problem.

Children who have more complex surgeries still usually have control over their bowel movements. However, they often need to follow a bowel program, which includes eating high-fiber foods, taking stool softeners, and sometimes using enemas.

Some children may need more surgery.

Calling your health care provider

This disorder is usually discovered when the newborn infant is first examined. Call your health care provider if a child that was treated for imperforate anus has abdominal pain or fails to develop any bowel control by the age of 3.

Prevention

As with most birth defects, there is no known prevention.